Send in the Clown
by MoonWiccan6
Summary: Lacey's 7th birthday Family Ties universe


Title: Send in the Clown Disclaimers: I am in no way affiliated with CSI. I'm just borrowing them for some fun. Rating: G Spoilers: None Note: This takes place about 10 years before 'Family Ties' In response to the Feb. challenges: focus on Grissom, #52, Grissom's tongue, Chicago, & one of WP's movies  
  
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Grissom looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. 'How did I let myself get talked into this?' he thought. He reached up to take the wig off, when the bathroom door swung open. 'I thought I locked that,' he thought in a panic.  
  
Catherine hurried into the bathroom, stopping short when she saw that someone was already in there. She started to ask him to get out when she noticed what he was wearing. From the neck down, he looked like his normal everyday self, but when you got to his head, he was wearing a bright red clown nose and matching wig.  
  
Grissom stood in front of his friend, his face beginning to turn the same shade as his costuming.  
  
Catherine managed to hold herself together for about ten more seconds before she broke down in laughter. She hugged her pregnancy-swollen stomach; tears of laughter streaming down her face. She was gasping for breath and trying to speak. Finally, giving up on speaking, she gestured for him to get out so she could use the bathroom.  
  
Grissom ripped off the wig and nose, tossing them into a bag and left the bathroom. He stood pacing in the locker room, waiting for her to come out. He had to make sure she didn't tell anyone about what she saw. He turned when he heard the door open and was glad to see that she was no longer laughing.  
  
"I can't remember the last time I've laughed that hard," she said. "I thought I was going to wet myself. Why were you wearing that?"  
  
Grissom sighed. "Lacey's father was supposed to dress up as a clown for her birthday, but he has to go to Chicago on a business trip."  
  
"And you agreed to fill in?" Catherine asked incredulously.  
  
Grissom snorted. "Agreeing would imply that I had a choice."  
  
"Poor baby," she said with a giggle.  
  
"You're not going to tell anyone about this, are you?" Grissom asked, his eyes pleading with her.  
  
Patting his arm in reassurance, she replied, "I promise. On one condition."  
  
"What?" he asked, slightly wary.  
  
"I want to come," she said with a grin.  
  
"Cath," he groaned to no avail. Sighing in defeat, he said, "Saturday at one. 52 Huse Road. Now, we'd better get to work." 'This is going to be a disaster,' he thought to himself.  
  
*****************************  
  
Saturday afternoon, Catherine knocked on the door of the small ranch house. She could hear the sounds of the party, already in full swing.  
  
A frazzled looking woman opened the door, grinning when she saw who it was. "Catherine, it's so good to see you," she said to the younger woman, pulling her in for a hug.  
  
"Hello, Judy. It's good to see you, too," Catherine replied, returning her hug.  
  
"Come in, come in," Judy said, ushering her into the house. "Just look at you. When's your due date?"  
  
"Six weeks," Catherine answered as she followed Judy through the maze of children running around the living room. "Though I wouldn't mind if it were tomorrow."  
  
Judy laughed. "I'll bet." She pushed open the kitchen door and gestured for Catherine to be quiet as the scene before them unfolded.  
  
***********************  
  
Grissom lifted his niece onto the counter and bent down so they were face to face. "Hey, little Lacey-bug. It's your birthday, how come you're not smiling?"  
  
"Daddy's in Chicago," she replied sadly.  
  
"Yes, but he'll be back tomorrow and then you can celebrate your birthday all over again."  
  
"I guess so."  
  
Grissom gave a dramatic sigh. "It appears I'm going to have to take drastic measures."  
  
"What's that mean?" Lacey asked.  
  
"It means this," Grissom replied and proceeded to pull his ears away from his face, cross his eyes, and stick out his tongue. His ridiculousness was rewarded when he heard Lacey's infectious giggle.  
  
"You're so silly, Uncle Gil," the little girl said.  
  
"Yeah, Uncle Gil, you're very silly," Catherine's voice came from behind him, causing him to jump, making Lacey giggle even more. She slid off the counter and ran over to the older woman. "Hi, Aunt Cath!"  
  
"Happy birthday, Lacey," she said, leaning down to give the girl a hug.  
  
"Since I call you Aunt Cath, does that mean that your kids will be my cousins?" the young girl asked.  
  
Catherine wasn't sure how to explain that one, but was interrupted by one of Lacey's friend coming in to drag the girl back to her party.  
  
Catherine and Judy turned back to Grissom who was looking at everything but the two women who were grinning at him, trying not to laugh.  
  
"Isn't he just too cute sometimes?" his sister commented.  
  
"Adorable," Catherine agreed.  
  
"Okay, you two can cut it out now," he said.  
  
Judy moved over to give her brother a hug. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. You're going to make a great father one day."  
  
"Yeah," Catherine said softly. "You're great with her."  
  
Their compliments caused him to start blushing again. He muttered something about getting ready and hurried out of the room.  
  
The two women exchanged glances before bursting out laughing.  
  
*******************  
  
Grissom and Catherine stood outside the house after the party. "Ever think about joining the circus?" Catherine asked with a smirk.  
  
"Ha ha," Grissom replied. "Lacey and her friends seemed to enjoy it anyway. That's all that matters."  
  
Catherine smiled. "Well, I guess I'll see you tonight."  
  
Grissom nodded and they headed for their cars. 


End file.
